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In a statement Sunday, Emanuel had called the strike illegal because it endangered students' health and safety, and concerned issues — such as evaluations, layoffs and recall rights — that state law says cannot be grounds for a work stoppage.

The union and school leaders had seemed headed toward a resolution at the end of last week, saying they were optimistic students in the nation's third-largest school district would be back in class by Monday. But teachers uncomfortable with a tentative contract offer decided Sunday to remain on strike, saying they needed more time to review a complicated proposal.

Emanuel fired back, saying he told city attorneys to seek a court order forcing Chicago Teachers Union members back into the classroom.

Teachers on the picket line at Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School on Chicago's near West Side declined to comment before the lawsuit was filed Monday as the possibility of legal action loomed over them.

The strike is the first for the city's teachers in 25 years and has kept 350,000 students out of class, leaving parents to make other plans.

Working mom Dequita Wade said that when the strike started, she sent her son 15 miles away to a cousin's house so he wouldn't be left unsupervised in a neighborhood known for violent crime and gangs. She was hoping the union and district would work things out quickly.

"You had a whole week. This is beginning to be ridiculous," Wade said. "Are they going to keep prolonging things?"

Months of contract negotiations have come down to two main issues central to the debate over the future of education across the United States: teacher evaluations and job security.

Union delegates said they felt uncomfortable approving the contract because they had seen it only in bits. The union will meet again Tuesday, after the end of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year.

"There's no trust for our members of the board," Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis told reporters Sunday night. "They're not happy with the agreement. They'd like it to actually be a lot better."

Emanuel showed his frustration at the striking public school teachers in a written statement Sunday night.

"This was a strike of choice and is now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children," Emanuel said.

The best explanation of how the teachers' unions affect the education system and the kids' lives and future is revealed in the documentary WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, a film by award-winning Davis Guggenheim

Movie Trailer: Youtube: Waiting for Superman

The entire film is available on Youtube in several parts starting at: WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, Part 1 of 11

IF Rahm et al manage to separate teachers and their union in the public mind, the strike is lost. Teachers per se really aren't the problem with schools - too many obligations, not enough societal support, poor management, lack of standards, and the 5-10% of the teachers who do the poorest job, those are amongst the problems. The City has aimed at the last two on my list, imho correctly as the bargaining can't address the others...

IF Rahm et al manage to separate teachers and their union in the public mind, the strike is lost. Teachers per se really aren't the problem with schools - too many obligations, not enough societal support, poor management, lack of standards, and the 5-10% of the teachers who do the poorest job, those are amongst the problems. The City has aimed at the last two on my list, imho correctly as the bargaining can't address the others...

I'll say first that the largest problem with education today is lack of Paranting at home!

But I will also say Fire all the striking teachers, they are not striking for the betterment of the children they are striking to protect their lazy ashes.

You can post job opennings paying $60,000 per year, a 7 hour day, 3 months off each year and see how quick people will line up for those postions. I would put in the fine print ( democrates need not apply).

These teachers are the problem. They are paid better than most Americans and they are talking about a 16% raise over 4 years. Guess what you greedy selfish educators. With salaries like that you are the reason why toilet paper is in short supply and ac is a luxury that's out of reach.

These teachers know that their days are numbered. The number of students keeps falling so there is no need to keep teaching staff at it's current level. Those who are paid the most want to keep their cushy jobs regardless of how poor their skills are.

There's a reason why private charter schools are taking over. No unions, no outrageous demands, just kids getting a similar education for much less.. The best thing that will come out of this is that one more layer is coming off how these unions work and just how much greed is the driving force behind them. Good luck trying to hide.

Good thing all the gay mayors attended the Dummocratic convention, isnt't it? Do all minorities deserve $76K a year for teaching a failing class? Shi*cago, a city of idiots. Welfare state.....i mean welfare city. How many kids got killed this past week? Well, at least that makes it a little less costly for prison costs, so maybe thats a good thing.

the delegates simply voted that they wanted to hear from the 30,000 rank and file members on whether THEY approve the deal or not before agreeing to it. this report leaves out the most important and basic fact. the rank and file is very likely to approve the deal because although it cuts back many many of their perks it gives them fair compensation, benefits and job security. these teachers are not being paid while on strike and they have only asked to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect and for their collective bargaining rights to be upheld. waiting two days longer to resume school is not cause for hating the teachers or the process. most comments i see describe jealousy that the commenter's job sucks so the teachers job should also - what we should all be saying is that the company's and organizations that do not respect workers should all have to deal with collective bargaining so that WE can have fair wages, benefits and job security. the reality today is that most workers in the usa are little more than pawns to make management wealthy and leave the workers with no pension, security or decency in their lives. fu*# that!!!!!!!!

What is at question is the currently-in-vogue industrial model as applied to education. The TQM/SQP approach to assessing education and educators assumes that students are raw materials that can be processed and shaped and advanced at a generally uniform rate. Any difficulties, then, fall on the processors, the teachers.

One of the subtexts, sometimes not so"sub," of educational reform is another goal of industrialization -- cost reduction. If senior teachers are paid more, they become the targets for elimination as a way for administrators, school boards, and other civic officials to deliver the alchemy of seeming to provide more for less. By devising teacher assessments weighted at eliminating costs centers, such alchemy, even if iron pyrites is involved, can keep a significant segment of the electorate convinced for the short term that real gold has been delivered.

In the ideal form of TQM/SQP, quality circles involving all stakeholders determine the best way forward. Such surrender of management power and privilege was anathema at the old GM and remains anathema in many municipalities attempting reform. Chicago has no shortage of domineering personalities. When resolution is frustrated by issues of who's in charge instead of what's best, the only "winner" will be the head-butter-in chief.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a retired teacher, who has both witnessed and experienced the upheavals of attempts at reform that, themselves, get reformed in short but not necessarily effective order.

Chicago taxpayers get no 16% pay hike. They are losing their jobs and getting LOWER salaries (3rd worse unemployment in country). Most Chicago 8th graders can't even read. Answer? Fire the whole lot like Regan did and start over with private schools and vouchers.

These swine are not interested in quality of education, they are interested in quality of their life. When a union goon sticks his/her snout so deep in the trough that Rahm is offended, something is WRONG. Public employees should be legally prevented for striking, period. They work for, and are paid by the taxpayer. This should be brought to their attention.

Rahm needs to fire every one of them and get replacements at lower pay and higher performance stadards. He needs to prove that the Democratic Party is not beholding to the teacher's union. It will increaseObama's chances - go for it Rahm.And cut off their pensions and fringe benefits too.

I am a retired special ed teacher and the amount of vitriol towards teachers on this topic has been both depressing as well as confirming my decision to leave the job early.

Kids - especially those with disabilities and differences - are NOT uniform widgets that can be QC'd in or out per standards (unless you are a charter school). While getting my Masters in special ed, I worked as a Quality Control tech. Parts that did not meet standards were sent back. We cannot do this with children. And then take it a step farther... the SOURCE of the faulty widget was the supplier, which in the case of education would be the parents.

SIGH>>> I would really like to know WHY so many people hate teachers... It is NOT a 8 month a year job and a 7 hour day. If I had a time clock to punch in at my home while I was teaching, it would have recorded a lot of hours.

I constantly hear that senior teachers will be laid off to save money as "anothermick" states. This is usually just another statement to allow older, inefficient and bored teachers to keep teaching. I wish it were not true but it is. But in truth, when it happens, it usually happens for the right reasons. Either they do not have the right credentials to meet the new guidelines, unable or unwilling to change with teaching criteria changes, or they are ineffective and truant themselves. Many times all of these. Some schools choose to grandfather them in and some do not. But it is always best for the children when these teachers go no matter what their age. GOOD TEACHERS NO MATTER WHAT THEIR AGE NEED TO STAY. Good principals know who those good teachers are and almost always fight to keep them.

The problems with Chicago are many. But one thing I know for sure, if they do not begin now with their children's education, another generation of their public school children will be lost. At least teach them to read at grade level so they can teach themselves!!

Read the articles on Bill Gates and his research into education reform. It will be an eye opener. We cannot change this generation of children who live in poverty. But if we educate them they will have a chance to raise THEIR children out of poverty.